31.5.12

English guitarist Luther Grosvenor was one of the most inventive guitarists of his generation. Regarded as one of the clutch of flashy young axe-slingers who emerged at the end of the 1960s and early 1970's and turned rock music on its head. Luther played guitar in Spooky Tooth, briefly in Stealers Wheel and under the pseudonym "Ariel Bender", in Mott the Hoople. With artists like Brian May, Mick Ronson, and Paul Kossoff, Luther Grosvenor rewrote the guitar players' rule book, simply by remembering that there is more to playing guitar than technique. You have to have some fun as well.

A bit rough around the edges, but this album was recorded in ten days, and the songs were recorded in one or two takes. Sound lacks clarity at times, but not enough to spoil your enjoyment. If you like Mott The Hoople/Ian Hunter, you will find plenty of influences here. Luther is a very underrated guitarist and songwriter, and this is a very overlooked album. The brilliant Jess Roden sings lead vocals on two tracks. Check out Luther's "Under Open Skies" 1971 album, Spooky Tooth's "Spooky Two" album, Mott the Hoople's "The Hoople" album, and "Rattlesnake Guitar: The Music of Peter Green" album [All tracks @ 320 Kbps: File size = 100 Mb]

Luther James Grosvenor (born 23 December 1946 in Evesham, Worcestershire) is an English rock musician, who played guitar in Spooky Tooth, briefly in Stealers Wheel and, under the pseudonym "Ariel Bender", in Mott the Hoople and Widowmaker. Luther first began playing in local bands in his hometown of Evesham. He met Jim Capaldi, who later played with Traffic, with whom he formed a group called Deep Feelin. Later he joined a group called The V.I.P.'s, in which Keith Emerson played for some time. The V.I.P.'s were renamed Art and later became Spooky Tooth. The years with Spooky Tooth (1967 to 1970), Stealers Wheel (1973) and Mott the Hoople (1973 to 1974) were the most successful years in his musical career. After leaving Mott the Hoople, Luther published a few solo albums, and formed Widowmaker, releasing Widowmaker in 1976 and Too Late to Cry in 1977. In the 1990s, Luther Grosvenor returned in a Spooky Tooth reunion. In 2005, he revived his pseudonym, forming the Ariel Bender Band. In 2007 and 2008 he performed under the name Ariel Bender's Mott The Hoople performing Spooky Tooth and Mott The Hoople songs, as well as cover songs. In 2009, he worked with London act, The Winter Olympics, recording guitar parts for their song, 'The Great Outdoors'. This was released in August 2010.

"When I say that Rob Blaine is a Guitar God, I mean that with two capital “G’s.” Not only is this a fantastic blues album, it’s just one of the best damn guitar albums I’ve heard all year. Period."- The Ripple Effect

"But, if you want to hear some no holds barred, down and dirty Chicago style blues, you gotta see this band play, or at the very least pick up a copy of his latest CD. Rob Blaine slices and dices on the guitar and adds great vocals to boot." -The Weekly Musician

A great album from the Chicago born guitarist Rob Blaine. This guy is an exceptionally talented guitarist with a great band behind him. Rob is obviously influenced by greats like Albert Collins, Otis Rush, and Buddy Guy but he can play some licks that none of those guys could play. This is not comparing Rob's guitar abilities and techniques with these great players. These guys had a style all their own, as has Rob Blaine. If you want new school Chicago blues, hard hitting Rock heavy Blues, soulful R&B, smooth subtle acoustic blues, and great vocals, it's all here. Rob solely composed nine of the twelve tracks on this album. The album is HR by A.O.O.F.C. This guy is a force to be reckoned with in the blues rock world. Watch out for future releases, and if Rob is playing in your area, go and see him. Support real music [All tracks @ 320 Kbps: File size = 117 Mb]

TRACKS

1. Not The Forgiving Kind
2. Only Mine
3. Affection And Pain
4. Same Old Blues
5. Hourglass Baby
6. Gone, Not Forgot
7. Trouble
8. Can't Help But Wonder
9. Must Be Nice
10. Find A Way
11. Don't Burn Down The Bridge
12. Must Be Nice (Acoustic Version)

"King's round tone and sensitive phrasing is inspired and he elevates the guitar to a near mystical place." - Guitar Player Magazine

You may find this album in the "Smooth Jazz" section of your local record store, but it is not the bland, elevator sound often associated with the genre. Described by cdbaby.com as "Smooth chill-out contemporary instrumental guitar album incoprporating jazz, blues, and pop with ambient overtones and a hint of fusion". There is nothing groundbreaking here, but It's a good album of nine very well played original soulful contemporary instrumentals from this very talented Scottish guitarist. The album has a lot of merit, and the guy's music is well worth hearing. Try and listen to David's "Son Of Strangely" album [All tracks @ 192 Kbps: File size = 56.8 Mb]

28.5.12

Described as a wild and eclectic collection of original songs and traditional favourites! Typical Zappa-esque humour. However, anybody who includes the theme from "Hawaii Five-O" by Morton Stevens, and two excerpts from a Georges Bizet opera on a fusion album is definitely dabbling in wildness and eccentric eclecticism! A great album from Dweezil heped out by some brilliant musicians including Blues Saraceno, Mike Keneally, Joe Travers, Lisa Loeb, and Scott Thunes. Eight of the 12 tracks are less than three minutes in length, and thats a big minus. Nevertheless, the album is HR by A.O.O.F.C. Listen to Dweezil's "My Guitar Wants To Kill Your Mama" and "Return Of The Son Of... " albums [All tracks @ 320 Kbps: File size = 90.6 Mb]

"Tadoussac" is a really good instrumental acoustic guitar album, but it is not easy to find out too much about it. Maybe somebody in Canada/Ottawa could help with more info. Try and listen to Ric's "Lush" album [All tracks @ 320 Kbps: File size = 100 Mb]

Between 1967 and 1977 Lydia Pense was a well known vocalist in the San Francisco/Oakland area. She has been called "the female voice of San Francisco" and was one of the best rock 'n' blues singer of her day. She was produced by Steve "The Colonel" Cropper, guitarist with the legendary Booker T. & The MG's. She temporarily retired from the music scene in the '80s and early '90s, to rear a daughter, but returned with a bang to reform the great soul/jazz rock band Cold Blood, with a new line-up of some talented local Bay Area musicians. If you like BS&T, early Chicago and Tower of Power you may like this 1973 live album from one of the greatest ever Bay Area funk-rock-blues outfits. The album is full of terrific jazz and soul funk grooves, and East Bay Grease at it's best. Hornwork is brilliant and Lydia's vocals are special. Sound quality could be better but normal for a release of this type, and the album is HR by A.O.O.F.C. Try and listen to Lydia Pense's 1974 "Lydia" album, and Cold Blood's 1971 "Sisyphus" album. You can find Lydia Pense & Cold Blood's "Transfusion" album and also Cold Blood's 1969 s/t album on this blog. In September of 2011 Cold Blood released a 5 song EP, "The River City Sessions". Buy it and promote real music. [All tracks @ 320 Kbps: File size = 92.2 Mb]

Lydia Pense (born Lydia Jane Pense in San Francisco, California on December 14, 1947) is an American rock-soul-jazz singer who since 1969 has performed with the band Cold Blood. Her style has been compared to powerful singers including Janis Joplin (who recommended the band to Bill Graham for their first audition), Aretha Franklin and Teena Marie. Pense's mother, the former is Miss Ramos, was born in Madrid, Spain, while her father came from Nebraska, United States. While attending Sequoia High School in Redwood City, California at the age of 16, Pense started singing with a band called The Dimensions, With Guitarist Paul C Saenz. They initially played Big Band songs, but she soon was attracted to the music of Ray Charles and Chuck Berry. Lydia joined Cold Blood in 1968. Their initial four albums, Cold Blood, Sisyphus, First Taste of Sin (produced by Donny Hathaway), and Thriller remain their best known work. The band continues to record and perform today. The band separated in the late 1970s and Pense suspended her career in the 1980s to raise her daughter before re-forming the group.

COLD BLOODBIO(WIKIPEDIA)

Cold Blood is a long-standing soul-rock-jazz band founded by Larry Field in 1968 and originally based in the San Francisco East Bay area. They have also gone by the name "Lydia Pense and Cold Blood" due to the popularity of their lead singer, Lydia Pense. The band first came to prominence in 1969 when rock impresario Bill Graham signed them after an audition and they played the Fillmore West in San Francisco. Pense has been compared to Janis Joplin, and it was Joplin who recommended the audition to Graham. The band has often been compared to another long-standing popular Northern California group, Tower of Power, and like Tower of Power they were rare in that they featured a horn section in addition to guitar, bass and drums. The Tower of Power horn players have performed with Cold Blood on a regular basis since the early 1970s. Skip Mesquite and Mic Gillette have been members of both Tower Of Power and Cold Blood. Their fan base also overlaps with the Sons of Champlin, although their musical styles are quite different. Their initial four albums, Cold Blood, Sisyphus, First Taste of Sin (produced by Donny Hathaway), and Thriller remain their best known work. The band disbanded in the late 1970s, reformed in the 1980s and stabilized with its current membership in the 1990s. Cold Blood continues to record and perform today, and some former band members such as Raul Matute (and some from Tower of Power) appear on its most recent album. Original band members were founder Larry Field (lead guitar), Lydia Pense (vocals), Danny Hull (tenor saxophone and songwriter), Larry Jonutz (trumpet), Raul Matute (Hammond organ, piano, arranger and songwriter), Jerry Jonutz (Baritone, alto and tenor saxophone), David Padron (trumpet), Rod Ellicott (bass), Paul C Saenz (Guitar), and Frank Davis, who was replaced on drums by the legendary Sandy McKee during the Sisyphus sessions. Narada Michael Walden and Jonathan "Sugarfoot" Moffett both mention McKee on their short list of drummers most influential in their stylistic development. Over the years there have been various incarnations of the band including singer/trumpet player Max Haskett, Tower Of Power horn player Mic Gillette, Journey keyboardist Stevie "Keys" Roseman on Hammond B-3 organ, Sons Of Champlin drummer Jim Preston, guitar player Michael Sasaki, Tower Of Power guitarist Jeff Tamelier, Boz Scaggs horn player Tom Poole, Elvin Bishop sax player Bill Slais, bass player Michael White & others. Current personnel are Lydia Pense (vocals), Steve Salinas (keyboards), Steve Dunne (guitar), Mike Morgan (percussion), Evan Palmerston (bass), Rich Armstrong (trumpet, percussion), Rob Zuckerman (alto, tenor, baritone saxes) and Donny Baldwin (drums). Cold Blood is featured playing live in Fillmore, a documentary of the last concerts at The Fillmore auditorium.

24.5.12

For many years now, Japan has produced some great cutting edge fusion groups. Power Job is a heavy fusion power ‘duo’ featuring Toshimi Nagai, on fretless bass, and Kazu Michishita on guitars. Noriaki Kumagai of Casiopea, and TRIX is a guest drummer on the album, and guest guitarist Takashi Mazuzaki plays on Tracks 6,7,& 10. Well written, all original material, reminiscent of bands like Prism and Fragile, but even more aggressive. These guys smoke! More info on this band would be appreciated. HR by A.O.O.F.C. Try and see the TRIX' "Live in Tokyo" DVD. Mindblowing stuff! [All tracks @ 320 Kbps: File size = 151 Mb]

David Grissom has said that "I can remember being 9 or 10 years old and hearing that guitar lick in the Beatles song “Got to Get You into My Life.” Something magic clicked in my head that drew me to the guitar. Then I heard more Beatles stuff, Stones, and Hendrix. Later, I really got into the Allman Brothers, B.B. King, Magic Sam, [Paul] Butterfield Blues Band. When I was 15, a guitar teacher who was a jazz guy, turned me on to Wes Montgomery. Louisville was kind of a pass-through point for the jazz musicians working the chitlin’ circuit. Also, Jimmy Raney lived in Louisville. I actually took a lesson from him once—he gave me a lot of confidence. Growing up in Louisville, we had a big bluegrass festival every summer, and I got to hear Doc Watson and Norman Blake. I can’t point to anything that I play and say, “I learned that from Norman Blake,” but there were things like the way he does doublestops and rolls, and the way he phrases that sounded musical to me. Touring with the Dixie Chicks in 2003, right after they had done their bluegrass record, I had the chance to work with some guys that were for-real bluegrass players, and I learned so much from them. I just combined all of those things into a blend that appealed to me." I (A.O.O.F.C) am not a great fan of "Country" music, but neither am I enthusiastic about defining musical genres. Even if this album is slightly 'over produced' and some of the music borders on the AOR commercial side, David is able to blend some amazing instrumentals and vocal selections into a great blend of rock, blues, and Texas country with great tones, and great playing. His guitar and songwriting skills are Grade A, and this album from the Louisville-born, Austin-based picker is HR by A.O.O.F.C. Sometimes "Country" music gets unfairly slagged off, but listen to John Fogerty's "Centrefield" and "Deja Vu (All Over Again)" albums, or any of James McMurtry's albums and you may have a different opinion on just how diverse this music genre can be. I have also stated before on this blog that no music is exempt from being posted as long as it has musical merit. Check out David's "Loud Music" album, and Storyville's brilliant "Piece Of Your Soul" album [Tracks @ 224-320 Kbps: File size = 82.5 Mb]

David Grissom (fl. since 1978) is an American session guitarist who has played and toured with several of America's leading bands and recording artists. David Grissom, currently of Austin, Texas, is a guitarist known for his early work with Joe Ely, for whom he was the main guitarist between 1985-1991. While still recording with Ely, Grissom went on to join the John Mellencamp Band. Following Mellencamp, he went on to form the critically acclaimed Storyville with Malford Milligan (vocals), David Holt (guitar), and Double Trouble together with Tommy Shannon (bass) and Chris Layton (drums). David Grissom has since toured with the Allman Brothers and the Dixie Chicks. On May 19, 2007, at a free concert titled "The Road To Austin", Bobby Whitlock performed his electric version of the definitive rock music love songs, Layla and Why Does Love Got To Be So Sad with dueling guitars courtesy of David Grissom and Eric Johnson. Grissom released his first solo album, Loud Music, in 2007. He has also recorded sessions, played and toured with a number of other American recording artists, including Buddy Guy, Chris Isaak, Sarah Hickman and Bob Dylan. David Grissom recently recorded with Owen Temple on his latest album, Two Thousand Miles, produced by Lloyd Maines. 2009 saw Grissom release his second solo album "10,000 Feet" featuring 11 new songs plus an acoustic version of "Good Day For The Blues" original recorded with Storyville